Donations are a wonderful way to help out with our projects whether you are coming to visit us soon, currently
staying at La Mariposa or once you have gone back home. Remember that your stay at La Mariposa is kind of like
a donation in itself - with your income we not only are able to employ local people, but we support various environmental
and educational projects in the community of La Concha. Even so, there are a number of other ways you can help out!

Material Donations
Many of the following donations can be brought with you or purchased here in Nicaragua:

Books in Spanish: Children's storybooks (sets of 6 are best, but individual copies are useful too,
also Latin American content is great), novels and educational books, such as encyclopedias, atlases,
animals, etc… for our educational projects. Books are often less expensive if purchased in United
States, but they lack local context, so we try to have a balance between the two. Please remember
that books in English can not be used in our educational projects.

Seeds - for our organic farms and community garden projects - These are very difficult to access in Nicaragua, please bring them with you!

Medical supplies - for our local clinics that can always use additional resources

Second-hand good quality clothes (for children or adults)

Money Donations

We welcome donations of money for our on-going projects, new projects and requests from the community.
In the past people have provided donations and/or fundraised for a specific project or have given a general sum
for wherever we see fit. We can also use donations of money to start new projects in the community too. At this
time, the following projects could use your help:

Primary school projects - Panama School, Santiago Reading Corner, Ruben Dario School, and the
Santiago Daycare can all use money to help with purchasing materials here in Nicaragua:

School supplies - paper to pens to notebooks and so much more!

Educational toys and puzzles

Sporting equipment - balls, jump ropes

Coloring books and crafts

Books from Latin American publishers with local context

If you would like to help us continue our community projects,
please consider a tax-free donation
which can be given through our friend, Reverend Brian Peterson
at Ascension Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas.

La Mariposa is not affiliated with any religious or political organisation.

Volunteer at the Santiago project

Past Donations
Here are some examples of what students in the past have contributed:

Two students were deeply affected by a trip up to our Panama Project. They saw the difficulties of obtaining
fresh water for the school, which led them to generously pay $800 for two oxen and a cart. These oxen are now
being taken care of by a local family who also uses them to carry water up to the school.

A student donated $500 and the Mariposa doubled that amount in order to completely renew the roof at the Santiago project.

Another group of students donated $200 to help complete the construction of a kitchen at Santiago to be used in a
morning childcare program.

Students have contributed sums to help complete the construction of a small library at Ruben Dario School.

Three former Mariposa students raised money for Ruben Dario Primary School. One student wrote to friends and family
and spoke at her Church to raise money. Another student sold popular baking mixes, while the third saved her own wages
from part-time work to make a donation. All in all, the girls were able to fundraise $2500!

One student taught salsa classes in the UK to raise money for Panama School - she raised enough to build the small
classroom where the preschool project now operates.

A very young student, with the help of her mother, wrote a children's book about Panama School and revenues from
copies sold have raised more than $200 for the school.

Another student has returned to his local community college where he teaches and is working with the head of the student body
to organize a fundraiser for Panama School.